The Other Brother
by aceofsteel
Summary: Set in a universe in which Skywise has an older brother named Felix, and Crescent survives. It follows the tribe in their adventures, focusing mainly on Skywise's group, and may diverge later on. Rated T for safety. My first FF, so please R&R.
1. The Fight

**This is a little story I started a while ago, and I'm not sure how far into it I'll get.**

**"Blah" is elf talk, /Blah\ is human talk, and [Blah] is Sending. ... Means a break in perspective, time, or sequence.**

**Disclaimer: Shockingly, nothing in the Elfquest series belongs to me.**

Cutter laughed as he ran along the ground, chasing after Nightfall. It was simple fun of cubs, for they had no other troubles or worries to speak of, and they had already completed all of the tasks Joyleaf had given them. He hopped a log, jumped some bushes, and then stopped. He couldn't see Nightfall, not anywhere. He was just about to send for her when she fell out of the tree above him, tackling him to the ground.

"No fair, trees are off limits," he told her as they wrestled on the ground.

"Sure it is, if you're chasing me," she told him. She got up, letting him rise to his feet. She inspected her jacket. "Look at this," she told him, "a new rip, right through the sleeve."

"That's your problem," Cutter said. "Here, I'll give you a few seconds before I start chasing."

"Ahh, Cutter," she complained, "that's all we've done today. Let's play something else."

"Like what?" he asked.

"How about we play a trick on the humans?" she suggested. "I heard One-Eye telling Treestump about some new snares they were putting out, and we could go cut them."

"Yeah!" he agreed. "Where, though?"

"Probably near their camp," she said. "Let's go!"

The two young friends took off running again, not aware that they were being watched.

...

"Here's one!" Cutter said later, looking at a vine stretched taught between a tree and a bush. He pulled out his knife and severed it with one swing.

"And another!" Nightfall exclaimed, cutting the one she had found. "I think I see another here," she said, reaching for it.

Cutter looked up just then, and was too late in his warning. "No Nightfall, not that vine!"

She grabbed it, and was immediately pulled into the air. It was a hoop-snare, and she was caught, suspended two spans above the ground by her wrist. "Oh," she cried, "it hurts! Cutter, look out!"

He whipped around just in time to see seven burly humans materialize from the surrounding forest. /Stay back,\ he told them, his quivering hand brandishing his small knife.

They looked at him, and, laughing, ran forward, stabbing at him with their spears. Only reflexes saved his life, but he still got a nasty gash along his arm. He looked over to see one menacing Nightfall, smiling to himself as she tried to avoid his spear. The human reached out with his hand to grab her…and he screeched with pain as a silver flash that was Felix's knife cut off his hand. The older youth jumped, cut the vine that was holding Nightfall, and pushed Cutter behind him.

"Cutter, get Nightfall and go!" he shouted, knocking aside a spear and slashing at the offending human, who jumped back smartly.

"I can't leave you here to fight alone!" Cutter called to him, as he helped Nightfall to her feet. He was about to rush forward when Felix pivoted and kicked him in the gut, knocking him back a few paces.

"Get out of here cubs!" Felix shouted at them again, jumping to the side to block off a human who was trying to circle around him. This time they went, with Nightfall helping Cutter along as well as she was able. They were both crying, and sending back to the Holt for help. Someone answered, but the two were in too much shock to give much help. As they staggered away, Cutter looked back to see Felix, ringed by six of the humans, bleeding from several cuts. He noted, with very small satisfaction, that one was lying on the ground, trying to hold the skin on his chest closed.

Perhaps half a minute later, Bearclaw and Treestump jumped out of a tree. "Where is Felix?" the Chief demanded. All they could do was mumble and point, and the two experienced elves raced off.

...

Things were going badly for Felix. He had managed to down another two humans, but he had a slash crossing over his left eye and numerous others on his body, and he was beginning to have trouble focusing. He slashed wearily at a spear, chopping off its point, but missed the second one that stuck in his leg. He screamed, and quickly dispatched its owner before he fell to his knees. Just as the humans were coming in for the final blow, the reinforcements arrived, howling and dealing death mercilessly. Moments later, the forest was quiet again, except for Felix's ragged breath.

"Sorry Bearclaw," he told him. "I shouldn't have let them get so far from the Holt."

"Quiet now," his chief told him. "You fought well enough, and things can't be changed now." The elf looked up, and sent to the Holt [Rain, hurry! Felix would be lucky to live even if you were already here!]

Treestump was bent over Felix, and said to Bearclaw, "He's just passed out, and we need to stop the bleeding. Help me with the spear." The two did what they had to do, making quick bandages out of Felix's torn and ripped clothes. They also managed to pull the spear out of Felix's leg, who chose that moment to wake up and begin screaming.

[Quiet yourself,] Treestump sent to him. [We'll be lucky if their whole cursed camp doesn't come by after all that racket without you helping the problem!]

[Sorry, Treestump,] the young elf sent back feebly, [It just hurts so much! I don't think... that I can… I can…] the sending cut off as he lost consciousness again.

"Poor Felix," Treestump growled, "he's still only a cub by my standards, and look what happened to him. Where's that bark-biting healer?"

[Hoy, Bearclaw!] Rain sent, coming into the small clearing. They got out of his way, and he bent over the body. [Not sure how well I can Heal him, he's lost a lot of blood.]

[Whatever you do, do it quickly,] Bearclaw sent sharply, [otherwise he'll be dead before you start.] He stepped back as the Healing began, watching the surrounding brush with Treestump. What a way to end what would have been a human-free season!

...


	2. The Holt

**This is a little story I started a while ago, and I'm not sure how far into it I'll get.**

**"Blah" is elf talk, /Blah\ is human talk, and [Blah] is Sending. ….. Means a break in perspective, time, or sequence.**

**Disclaimer: Shockingly, nothing in the Elfquest series belongs to me.**

Life back at the Holt was going smoothly. One-Eye was proudly displaying his newest kill, and Crescent was entertaining little Scouter. They were playing with a funny-colored rock that he had found, and both were lost in the simplicity of the moment. They didn't know that anything was wrong until Joyleaf looked sharply up, and then ran to the edge of the brush. Everybody looked up to see a scratched and frenzied Cutter and Nightfall break through into the clearing, into Joyleaf's open arms. Both were babbling and crying, trying to let everything that had happened out in an instant.

"Calm yourselves, kitlings," she told them. "Slowly, one at a time."

The two related everything, though it was filled with many pauses and leaps in the storyline. When they had finished, the once relaxed mood faded into an anxious one. Strongbow was being held back by Woodlock, Redlance, and One-Eye. [Let me go!] he Sent to them. [After what almost happened to Crescent, why do you stop me?]

"Stop it, Strongbow," Redlance tried to reason with him. "Whatever you could have done is gone already, now all we can do is wait. Felix isn't dead, or else someone would have Sent back to us." After a few more moments, the archer settled, and allowed himself to be led over to Moonshade. The two held a quiet bonding, remembering what had happened to their daughter when she had been caught by the humans.

Foxfur moved over to Crescent, who had moved over to be near Skywise. The two friends watched him, as he appeared to be in shock. "But, but, but, how?" was all he could ask, before he burst into helpless tears and sank down.

Crescent rocked him back and forth, whispering soothingly, "Don't worry Skywise, Felix will come back safe. I know he will." But she had trouble hiding the doubt from her voice, and could not stop her own tears from sliding down her face. Foxfur laid a hand around her shoulders, and the three held each other for a long time, until Bearclaw's Sending reached the Holt. [Clean out one of the dens,] they heard him command. [We're bringing Felix back, but he's still in rough shape. Get Rain's herbs, he's spent right now.]

At these commands, there was a scurry of activity. The den that Felix and Skywise shared was cleared out, and Pike pulled out his father's leather bag of herbs and salves. Eventually, the four appeared at the edge of the clearing. Bearclaw was holding up the limp figure of Felix, and Treestump was supporting a very tired Rain. Skywise was up in a flash, helping to lay Felix out in the den, while Crescent took Joyleaf's job of comforting Cutter and Nightfall.

"Will he be okay?" Cutter asked. "It's all our fault; we never should have left the Holt." He began to cry softly again, and she pressed him to her side, Nightfall on her other.

"Felix did what anyone of us would have done," she said soothingly. "What's happened has happened, and all we can look to now is the future to make things right." She rocked the little ones, thankful of their complete childlike trust in her words. She had seen other elves beaten less than Felix was, and they still faded. She held her thoughts to herself, and quietly sang a soft song to the cubs, who began to snooze. She must have slept too, for the next thing she knew; Joyleaf was carefully shaking her awake, and lifted Cutter over her shoulder. The sun was coming up, and it was time for the Holt to get its rest. She yawned, and passed Nightfall off to her parents. She quickly jumped down to check on Felix. If she had felt grim before, it was nothing compared to this.

Felix was lying down, bandages covering gashes all over his body. They were bleeding through, though, which scared her immensely. He was as white as snow, giving him a ghastly appearance from his usual, jovial self. She looked to the others sitting around, and met their eyes: Skywise, Pike, Rain, and Treestump.

"Why is he bleeding again?" she asked in a small voice, afraid that her emotion would get the better of her.

"I can't tell," Rain said with a tired sigh. "I've used up my entire store of magic on him, but only a few of his wounds ever close up completely. My guess is that his body is in so much shock that it's somehow rejecting the Healing."

"Whatever it is," Treestump growled in what was his quiet voice, "if it doesn't stop soon, there won't be anything left for him to bleed out. He coughed up all of the herbs we got into him. What can we do?"

"What if we tried sewing up his wounds?" Crescent suggested. "I've watched Mother sew leathers often enough, why not try it on his skin?"

"Sounds crazy," Treestump mumbled, then a bit louder, "but why not? What else do we have to lose? Go and get her, would you, Pike." He was up in a flash, and bounded outside into the sun.

Crescent looked over to Skywise, who had not said anything the whole time. His face was tight, as though he were fighting a massive internal battle behind his eyes. "Skywise," she began hesitantly, but didn't finish what she was about to say as he looked up with an expression of utter despair.

"Crescent, we both know what it's like to owe our lives to Felix, and now the little ones do too. Think, just think, about how you would feel if your father and mother were killed, and if not for your brother, you would have been too. Then imagine that the same brother was killed by the humans who had claimed the rest of your family. What would there be left for you? I can't lose him. I can't!" Skywise exclaimed the last forcefully, hot tears streaming down his face. She held him tightly, closed her eyes, and tried to feel what he was feeling. She felt terrible inside, and looking down at Felix's limp form, began to recollect the memories of a night so dark, the very thought of it sent shivers down her spine

...


	3. The Flashback

**This is a little story I started a while ago, and I'm not sure how far into it I'll get.**

**"Blah" is elf talk, /Blah\ is human talk, and [Blah] is Sending. ….. Means a break in perspective, time, or sequence.**

**Disclaimer: Shockingly, nothing in the Elfquest series belongs to me.**

It was several seasons past, back to the younger days of her adolescence. She had snuck out of the den in the late afternoon to go diving in the far river, hunting the larger fish that dwell there with a short spear she had "borrowed" from Redmark. After a few minutes, she managed to spear a giant-sized redgill, and couldn't wait to show it off to her mother and father. She had just surfaced and was putting her leathers back on when she heard a sound behind her. She jerked her head free of her jacket just in time to see two burly humans rushing at her from out of the brush. She had time to make out two hasty screams, one verbal, one Sent, before a club hit her on her temple. She lost consciousness, and when she came to a short time later, it was in a much different, evil place.

She was bound facing a large rock, with her arms stretched forward as if embracing it and her feet tied together tight enough to cut off the blood flow. She tried to turn her head, but the sudden movement brought back a pain so sudden she couldn't help but gasp.

/She's awake,\ a long-haired old human said. From what she could see of him, he was the village shaman. /Prepare for the sacrifice! Tonight, we show our love to Gotara with the ultimate act!\ The others around him began scurrying about, stacking wood and painting their bodies. Crescent tried to Send, but the pain in her head was too much, and she closed her eyes. When the throbbing had subsided slightly, she opened her eyes again.

The sun was down, and night had settled in. A large fire had been constructed immediately behind her, the heat of it forcing sweat out of her every pore, soaking her skin and clothes. The few flashes she could see of the humans showed her that they had finished panting themselves, and were dancing and chanting themselves into a frenzy. Suddenly she felt the sharp, quick pain of a whip on her back, and she couldn't help herself but to cry out. The shaman was holding a long leather switch in his hand, with sharp bits of rock sticking out from odd angles along the end. He cried out to the sky and struck her again.

And again. And again.

He stopped, finally, but Crescent was almost unconscious again. The whole of her back, leather and skin, was ripped to shreds. Dimly, she could see the old man approaching with a stone knife covered in dried blood. She knew this was the end, wanted the pain to end, but couldn't close her eyes and accept it. Just as the hand rose, a rock flew out of seemingly nowhere striking the hand, which then dropped the knife. The next thing she knew, she was being uncut from the rock and hoisted onto a wolf's back. She was dimly aware of things as she and her unknown rescuer sped through the undergrowth.

Sending out, Crescent was finally able to make contact with another mind. [Who…who is it?]

[It's Felix,] a comforting thought floated across through her mind. [Don't try to Send now; we'll be back at the Holt in a second. Just try to hold on until then.]

She tried, tried with the utmost of her ability, but she couldn't hold out. Soon after the brief conversation, darkness took her yet again. She floated down, out, everywhere, knowing only the speed of wind in her ears and the closeness with which Felix held her.

...

She came to in her den, surrounded by the eyes of her parents, the healer Rain, Felix, and Bearclaw and Joyleaf. She was bandaged all over her back and arms, and even though she was lying on the softest furs the tribe owned, everything still ached. Moonshade's worried eyes looked down on her, and she could see the tears in her mother's eyes.

[I'm so sorry,] she Sent openly. [I just wanted to surprise you, but I messed up. Can you forgive me?] Crescent felt hot tears running down her face, but she made no effort to conceal them.

Moonshade burst into full out tears as she hugged her daughter. [Hush now, Kittling. There's no wrong to forgive for wanting that.]

[You mean you're not mad?] Crescent asked.

[No, we're not] Strongbow let her know as he took her in his arms. She was surprised to see tears in his eyes too; her father never cried. [How could we be, when our daughter has been given back to us.]

"Before you go, Felix," Bearclaw broke the silence, "you might as well tell how you succeeded in rescuing Crescent, alone, when you weren't supposed to be up at that time."

"Well, believe it or not, I decided to go for a walk because I couldn't sleep," the light-brown haired elf started, shrugging his shoulders the way he did when he was embarrassed or anxious. "I was about to come back to the Holt when I thought I heard a scream just out of Sending range. I rushed over to check it out, and I got there just in time to see Crescent being bound and taken away. I called Storm-paw to me, and we followed. I watched what the humans did, but couldn't decide whether to run back for help or stay. When the old one grabbed a knife, however, I had to act. Luckily, the surprise caught every one of them off guard and we were able to escape."

"Completely foolish and risky, but praise the High Ones it worked," Bearclaw said. "You've probably seen enough action for now. You're free to leave."

[Would you please stay?] Crescent's private Sending asked him as he was jumping out the hole in the tree.

[Your parents want to be alone with you, I think,] he Sent back, his emerald eyes twinkling in the starlight. [Don't worry though, I'll be back to visit you later.]

And with that final message, he left her, safe and whole.

...


	4. The Recovery

**This is a little story I started a while ago, and I'm not sure how far into it I'll get.**

**"Blah" is elf talk, /Blah\ is human talk, and [Blah] is Sending. ….. Means a break in perspective, time, or sequence.**

**Disclaimer: Shockingly, nothing in the Elfquest series belongs to me.**

Crescent woke as though from a dream. The memories had been potent enough to take her mind off of the terrible situation at hand. However, when she looked down at her brave rescuer, so pale and small, all feelings of nostalgia faded away. Luckily, a distraction presented itself in the form of Pike returning with Moonshade, Strongbow, and all of the stitching supplies her mother owned.

"Move aside, young ones," Moonshade commanded, motioning Skywise and Crescent to take a step away from Felix. "It seems that I'm sorely needed, at least, I should be if half of Pike's yipping was true."

"It probably is," Rain said, leaning forward and unwrapping a bandage for Moonshade. "Crescent thought that maybe your powers of the thread might do more than mine alone can accomplish." He quickly filled her in on the plan. She nodded, waiting patiently, then began to speak.

"Crescent, you'll have to help too. When Rain uncovers a wound, either you or I will stitch it closed, while he tries to Heal it shut."

Crescent nodded, and then began to prepare the needle the way her mother had shown her. Treestump and Strongbow jumped out of the hole and began to talk in low tones outside. Skywise stayed at Felix's side, clasping his hand, while Pike yawned to himself and left to sleep in the shade of a nearby tree.

They worked through the entire morning, and into the late afternoon. It was a tedious job, one that required utmost care and precision. Several times stitches broke loose, opening the wounds they had been keeping closed. Rain's head began to drop from the fatigue of Healing every single gash by itself, while Moonshade and her daughter began to take turns, massaging their cramping fingers while the other one worked. Finally, just as the sun was beginning to set, the task was completed. Rain was fast asleep, leaning against the wall of the den, while the weary women supported each other as they packed the little thread remaining into the leather pouch Moonshade kept her tools in.

Skywise looked up at them. He still hadn't left off holding his brother's hand, and his red eyes mirrored either grief, weariness, or a combination of the two. "Will he live?" he asked in a broken voice.

"If Rain's Healing holds, he will live," a relieved Moonshade replied. "You've worn yourself too much this night, Skywise. Now that the danger is past, take some rest. Come on Crescent, it's time we got at least a little sleep too."

"Could I stay here Mother?" Crescent asked her. "We spent so much time working on him, and if something goes wrong, one of us really should be here to take control of the problem."

Moonshade smiled her mysterious smile, the one that said she was reading deeper into a situation than anyone else was aware of. "Alright," she said, "I'll leave the bag here, and I'll bring up another fur to keep you warm. Mind you don't shift Felix around too much, he's still in rough shape." She jumped out of the den, returned several moments later with her own sleep-fur, then departed.

Skywise's head was drooping again, and Crescent moved over to him, wrapping his fur over his shoulders as she did so. He laid down next to Felix on one side, while Crescent did the same on the other. Moments later, the two were fast asleep, making a huddle of heat, worry, and feeling around the elf that meant so much to them.

...

Felix came into consciousness with an empty feeling in the back of his head. There was darkness swirling all around him, but he kept trying to push the black aside, just so he could see something. When he thought he was close enough to surfacing, he tried to open his left eye. When it wouldn't, he tried the right one, which did, though very grudgingly. He couldn't focus on shapes, but by the way light was dancing around the den, he guessed it was sundown. He couldn't quite think of why he'd be laying down in his den at this time; he was always well up before the sun had even begun to set. Then it all came back to him: the cubs, the humans, the fight, and the pain. The pain!

He suddenly was aware of every single one of his half-healed cuts, even the scab that sealed his left eye. It was bad, yes, but to him it seemed as though his every sense had been heightened a hundredfold and were all zeroed in on making him feel every last bit of hurt he had. A river of liquid fire seemed to course through his body, and shards of ice pierced every inch of his skin. The shock of it all rushing back would have been enough to knock him on his back if he wasn't already lying down. As it was, he felt his eye close and his face contort with agony for a few seconds, before crying out like a wounded bear and falling back down into the blackness.

Everyone around (not Strongbow, Treestump, Rain, or Moonshade, who were either asleep or hunting) heard the cry. Some wondered what had made it, but a few wondered how. Crescent and Skywise were jolted out of their own rest by the scream coming from the den in which they slept, and were the first to react.

"What happened?" Skywise asked her.

"I think Felix woke up for a second or two," she replied, thoroughly shaken. "I'll bet the sudden shock of everything was almost too much for him."

"That doesn't seem like Felix, though," Skywise said doubtfully. Treestump said he was barely aware of his injuries while he was fighting off the humans."

"That's probably because he was too distracted and angry to notice anything," she said as she started to arrange herself before she would go back outside. "Don't worry Skywise, he should be fine after what we did for him. All he needs is rest." With that last, she jumped down to the ground. After all, life at the Holt never stopped, not even in times of disaster or celebration.

...

It was another night before Felix woke up again. This time, things were much gentler for him. He didn't feel the overpowering force of his senses working against him, making it not only possible to focus, but easy. He simply lied there on his back, and decided it would be good to be able to see, so his eyes opened, no problem to it.

He looked around himself. He was in his own den, with his own furs draped over his lower body and torso. He also became aware of a faint itching all over his body. When he looked, he saw numerous cuts being held together with stitching, but noticed that there were considerably less of them than he remembered receiving. _Good old Rain_, he thought, _I've never known him to fail in relieving at least part of another's burden_. Before he could sit up, he heard two others climbing into the den with him. When he tilted his head, he saw that it was Crescent and his brother, and he was glad to see that the both of them were smiling.

"Felix, you're awake!" Skywise exclaimed as he threw himself down next to his brother. He was careful of his wounds as he embraced him, and then sat holding his hand in a tight grip. "We'd thought we'd lost you for a moment, but you're alright!"

"Yeah, you still have to put up with me for a little while more," Felix told him. He looked up to Crescent and asked, "What's with the thread, and how long have I been lying here?"

"Don't mess with them, they're keeping you alive," Crescent told him. "When your wounds didn't Heal regularly, we thought to sew your skin together to slow the bleeding and make it easier for your body to mend on its own."

"And you've been lying there for almost two night's worth of time," Skywise chimed in. "Lucky for you we were here to take care of you, otherwise there's no doubt you'd be dead."

Felix heard the words, but his sudden energy was sapped at the realization that he almost had died. He looked up and said, "From now on, it'd be great if the two of you could keep me from sticking my nose into every trouble I see. It'll probably make me live longer."

"We'll try, but knowing you, I don't know how easy that could be," Crescent told him. "I'll bring some food up, just wait a minute."

She jumped out of the den and grabbed some of the red fruits that she knew Felix enjoyed. She climbed back up to the den, but when she got there, Felix was asleep. Skywise motioned for her to set down the food within easy reach of Felix. The two of them left, careful not to make any noise or trip over Felix's sprawled out body.

"He looks a lot better, doesn't he?" Crescent told Skywise. "I mean, he was talking like his normal self again."

"It seems that way," Skywise told her, "but I'm still skeptical. He seemed a bit more put off then usual."

"Probably just from being cooped up for so long," Crescent suggested. "You know how he is, never happy unless he's off in the middle of the action."

Skywise nodded; it was a fairly accurate description of his brother. He was still slightly uncomfortable with what had happened, but it looked as though everything was going to be alright. As time passed, Felix healed up completely, except for the barely visible scars crossing over his eye and body. The only strange aftereffect was that magical healing never seemed to fully fix him up-it was as if there was some unseen barrier holding back part of the magic. Aside from these, Felix became himself again, and the entire tribe was happy to have him back.

...


	5. The Fire

**This is a little story I started a while ago, and I'm not sure how far into it I'll get.**

**"Blah" is elf talk, /Blah\ is human talk, and [Blah] is Sending. ….. Means a break in perspective, time, or sequence.**

**Disclaimer: Shockingly, nothing in the Elfquest series belongs to me.**

The humans were bringing fire! The cry was sent throughout the tribe, who quickly prepared themselves for what might happen. Cutter led the scouting party, with all the men save Redlance at his side. It wasn't long before they came across the human party, about half a dozen men with torches.

/What are you doing?\ Cutter screamed at him in the guttural tongue of the humans.

/Our tribes have battled long enough, demon,\ the shaman said. /It is time to rid the land of you once and for all!\ Looking around, he gave a nod to the young men standing near him. They each pushed their torches down to the bushes, the flames licking greedily towards the leaves and sticks. /Gotara wills it! Gotaraaaa…!\ His scream was cut short by an arrow from Strongbow. Everything was pure pandemonium. The few humans left were routed by the elves, but their evil work was done. The water-starved brush went from a crackling blaze to roaring inferno in just moment's time.

[Everyone, back to the Holt!] Cutter Sent to the scattered elves. They went crashing through the brush away from the flames, choking on and blinded by the smoke. That is, all save one.

Felix was beyond thought or logic. His every sense pulsed with a life that went beyond anything he had ever felt. The only thing he could compare it too was that day when he woke up covered in slashes, with all feeling compressed towards a single entity. At the moment, it was hatred; hatred for the humans, for their unnecessary evil, for their hulking physique, for the way they had killed his parents, the way they had tortured Crescent. The hate swelled in him, and he ran, faster than anyone ever had before, until he himself could have outpaced the swiftest wolf. He ran straight for the camp of the humans. They had brought fire to destroy the elves, but they hadn't reckoned on the elf named Felix.

...


End file.
